Duck deaths won't go unpunished: Canada minister

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - A top Canadian official sought
to calm an international uproar over hundreds of ducks killed
at Canada's biggest oil sands plant by promising, at a U.S. oil
industry event on Monday, that the incident will not go
unpunished.

The deaths of 500 ducks last week on a Syncrude Canada Ltd
wastewater pond was unacceptable, Industry Minister Jim
Prentice said during an acceptance speech after Canada was
named "Country of the Year" by Energy Magazine.

"We anticipate those responsible will face full scrutiny
under Canadian law and, insofar as the government of Canada is
concerned, there will be full accountability demanded,"
Prentice said, according to notes of the speech delivered in
Houston.

The Canadian and Alberta governments have called the
incident "tragic" and launched investigations.

Until last week, much of the debate over the impact of oil
sands developments, now the target of more than $100 billion of
investments, was concentrated on carbon dioxide emissions.

Technology is the answer to avoiding more animal deaths and
cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Prentice said.

"Once again, we need a full government and industry press
on technological innovation," he said. "I have every confidence
we will be just as successful meeting the environmental
challenge as we were the cost of oil sands production."
Continued...